According the regulations put forth by the UGC for 2016, SC, ST, and OBC candidates are prescribed with 5 percent relaxation in minimum eligibility marks of 55% marks for direct recruitment to teaching positions are eligible to take up NET examination.
The HRD ministry said that candidates belonging to the SC, ST, and OBC categories with minimum 50% marks in their Master's degree from any recognised institutions are eligible for appearing for the National Eligibility Test (NET).
The NET examination is conducted by the CBSE on behalf of the University Grants Commission to select candidates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and teaching positions.
Minister of State in the HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey in a written reply in Lok Sabha, said that, 'the UGC has informed that the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) categories, who have secured at least 50 per cent marks (without rounding off) in Master's degree or equivalent examination from universities or institutions, recognised by UGC, are eligible for appearing in NET.
The UGC (Minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education) (4 th Amendment), Regulations, 2016 prescribe 5 per cent relaxation in minimum eligibility marks of 55 per cent marks for candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories for direct recruitment to teaching positions, he said.